Wrench



Patented Sept. y7, 19267.A

r y f NLT 0F 1,599,162 FICE.

f `.mamsy ajenowmor BUFFaLo, NEWIYORK.

- WRENCH. y

' Application tiled February 1, 1924. SeralNo. 690,072.

invention relates to vticularly toY ythat type k'novvn .as adj ustablf.x

'endwrenches Wrenches ofthe type under :consideration are` provided Witha fixed jaw!integralwith the handle vand aslidingjaw which isoperated bya knurled wormnut. In using. Wren'chesof, thistype `the adj ust-ment ofthe jawsk is easily disturbed by a slightengagement Withl the knurlednut. This occurs upon laying down or picking up the Wrench and byengagement with nearby parts While theryvrench is in use. Y

" The object of my invention is to 'provide a wrench of this characterequipped with means for holding or. locking the ja- Ws in adjustedposition. A further object of my invention is to provide a Wrench asabove mentioned in which `the locking device will not interfere With theordinary quick adljustment of the jaws. AL further object of myinvention is to provide a Wrench of the character mentioned in which theadjust-V ing nut and the locking deviceV may be actuated by one hand totheend that the device is adapted for nsein lsmall places which would beinaccessible toa Wrench equipped with bulky or projecting locking meansor one which would require both hands to adjust. Further objects Willappear herein after., l 1 Y i n With these objects inview my inventionconsists generally Vin a wrench of the type mentionedv comprisinga fixedjaw and `handle, a slidinlg` adjustable jaw and a knurled Worm nutforadjusting the latter, in combination.. with a locking latch slidablymounted in the handle, the Worm nut being provided with peripheralnotches to receive the end of the latch tor lock the nut against furthermovement after adjustment. My invention further consists in a device asmentioned equipped with means for holding the latch in either loperativeor retracted position. My invention further consists in ments of partsall as lWill. be fully described hereinaftervafnd particularly pointedout in the claims. i f

invention Will beimore readily under'- stood 'by reference to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in Which-Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a jwrench embodying my inventionin itspreferred form,

Wrenches and par- Figl 2 ,isa detailed section of, the same f I akenupon the yline 2--2fof Fig. l and illus` ytratedfupon an enlarged scale.

F ig.` 3' 1s: aJ transverse section `on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,1, f A fFig'. :4' isa detailed section on the lino 4-4VofFig. 3, and

F igpis a detailed section illustrating,` a modified form. f f

Referring now to the drawings 1 indicates l the handle of the Wrenchhaving the usual enlarged head 2 terminating in a` fixed jaw 4L is theadjustable jaw provided with a shank 5, slidably mounted in a groove 6in the head 2. rlhe shank 5 terminates in an enlarged portion 7 formedWith the usual rack 8. 9 indicatesthe Worm nut rotatably i 'mounted vina recess 10 in thehead 2, upon a screw 11 which forms a shaft for thesame. The Worm nut 9 is provided With a knurled periphery 12 as is usualin Wrenches of this type. The periphery of the nut is also providedwith. a plurality of notches 13`for a purpose hereinafter described.

Mounted vupon the handle l is a sliding latch 14 terminating in ataperedend 15 adapted to engage the notches 13 to hold the wrench inadjusted position. This latch comprises al short bar having beveledsides 16 fitting in a dove-tailed groove 17T in the handle. The upperface of the bar projects but a slight distance above the face of thehandle and is knurled as at 18 to facilitate manipulating .the same. Bythis arrangement the locking device is'entirely below the plane of theface of the Wrench head; thatis, it. does not project from the side ofthe Wrench as far as the knurled nut 9 and the face of the head 2 and,therefore, does not interfere in any Way whatsoever With the operationof the Wrench,'which is of great advantage, particularly When Working insmall' places.

To maintain the latch in operative or re" tracted position, I provide asuitable spring latch. As shown in F igs. 2, 3 and lLthis comprises aspring pressed ball 19 adapted to engage in either of the recesses 2Opro-r vided in the under face of the latch 14. In practice, the handle 1is provided With a recess 2l to receive the springr 22 and ball 19.In'the modified form shown in Fig. 5 the ball 19 is replaced by aplunger 23 havinga double beveled .end 24 adapted to engage vinsimilarly shaped recesses 25.

construction above described the latch maj)Y he readily moved intooperative or inoperative position hy the thumb of the hand holding theWrench, the retaining` means being suicient to hold the latch in eitherposition desired,V hut not offering suiiicient resist*- ance to inalethe device difficult to operate.

I claim l. A Wrench comprising,` a. handle having; a head,v a fixed jan' on said head, said head beingt provided With a groove, and anadjustable jaw having` a shank slidahle in said vgroove, a Worin nut foradjustingl said jaw and provided With a notched periphery, av latchslidahly mounted in the side of said handle and adapted to engage saidnotched periphery to lock the wrench in adjusted position, said latchbeing entirely below vthe plane of the face of the Wrench head and meansbetween the handle and the inner face of the latclrtor holding the latchin either operative or retracted position, suhstantiah vly as described.

2. A device as set fort-h in claim l in which said latch comprises a barhaving beveled sides, the handle of said Wrench heing` provided with adove-tailed groove to receive the same, the upper face of said latchheine` hut slightly above said groove and knurled.

ln testimony WhereorI I have signed my' name to this speciiication.

